Kite

ABSTRACT

This disclosure relates to kite assemblies and constructions wherein the structural members are comprised of plastic materials and structured to maximize strength and minimize weight. Means are provided to releasably interconnect the transverse or horizontal frame member and the longitudinal or vertical frame member in a locked position. The upper end of the vertical frame member is provided with shock-absorbing means which can be integrally formed on the vertical member by means of an appropriate curvature of a semi-resilient portion member. The bridle lines are formed of plastic and have hook-shaped ends for snap retention in eyelets on the horizontal and vertical frame members. A double eyelet is provided on the vertical frame member to permit adjustment of the length of the bridle members. The eyelets on the horizontal frame member are located on lines parallel to the vertical frame member which substantially intersect the center of pressures of the kite cover. Nibs are provided along the corresponding openings in a kite cover to permit distribution and equalization of stress. A bayonet type connection is provided for the ends of the frame members to be received in reinforced openings in the kite cover. In one form, the forward face of the kite cover is disposed at an angle to increase the flight mobility.

United States Patent 1 Curtis KITE [76] Inventor: Malcolm Rex Curtis,3224 Timmons Lane, No. 157, Houston, Tex. 77027 [22] Filed: Mar. 15,1971 [21] App]. No.: 124,046

[52] US. Cl 244/153 R [51] Int. Cl. B64c 31/06 [58] Field of Search244/153 R, 154 R,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 598,038 1/1898 Wardwell244/153 R 648,544 1/1900 Woglom 244/153 R 1,494,453 5/1924 Wanner....244/153 R 1,548,542 8/1925 Meena 244/153 R 2,519,594 8/1950 Ohland244/153 R 2,931,600 4/1960 Riker 244/153 R 3,599,909 8/1971 Young244/153 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 856,083 11/1970 Canada 244/153R 997,791 7/1965 Great Britain 244/153 R 152,760 9/1932 Switzerland244/153 R Primary ExaminerMilton Buchler Assistant ExaminerPaul E.Sauberer AttorneyFidler & Bard, Donald H. Fidler and Edmund F Bard June19, 1973 [57] ABSTRACT This disclosure relates to kite assemblies andconstructions wherein the structural members are comprised of plasticmaterials and structured to maximize strength and minimize weight. Meansare provided to releasably interconnect the transverse or horizontalframe member and the longitudinal or vertical frame member in a lockedposition. The upper end of the vertical frame member is provided withshock-absorbing means which can be integrally formed on the verticalmember by means of an appropriate curvature of a semi-resilient portionmember. The bridle lines: are formed of plastic and have hook-shapedends for snap retention in eye lets on the horizontal and vertical framemembers. A double eyelet is provided on the vertical frame member topermit adjustment of the length of the bridle members. The eyelets onthe horizontal frame member are located on lines parallel to thevertical frame member which substantially intersect the center ofpressures of the kite cover. Nibs are provided along the correspondingopenings in a kite cover to permit distribution and equalization ofstress. A bayonet type connection is provided for the ends of the framemembers to be received in reinforced openings in the kite cover. In oneform, the forward face of the kite cover is disposed at an angle toincrease the flight mobility.

22 Claims, 21 Drawing Figures PAIENIEBMWW 3.140.009

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FIG. 75

M. Rex Curtis INVENTOR BY F/DLER 8 BARD A TTORNE vs Pmmmmwms 3.740.009

/ ,97 FIG. I9 i W JE 1 g m l 95 706 FIG. 20

M. Rex Curt/s IN VE NTOR BY F/DLER 8- BAPD ATTORNEYS KITE This inventionrelates to kite assemblies and, more particularly, to kites designed foraerial maneuverability under control from the ground by the direction ofa ground controller. The kite assembly is constructed and arranged tomaximize its strength and minimize its weight as well as provide adurable assembly under flying conditions and one which can withstand theshock of a ground impact.

Many forms of kite constructions have heretofore been proposed,including many specialized constructions for obtaining lift and aerialmaneuverability wherein separate independent panels have been employed.These constructions are generally complex, difficult to assemble andhandle, and are fragile or easily damaged. In the more conventional typeof kite construction, cross-members constructed from a lightweight woodand dependent upon strings for tying members are typically involved.None of these prior art constructions has incorporated therein anypractical features to prevent or minimize damage in use, and wheresimplicity in construction is obtained maneuverability in flight istypically lost. It can be generalized that most kites fall into one oftwo categories: that is, either an elemental, low cost, relativelynonmaneuverable and fragile kite, or a specialized, fragile, complexconstruction which is relatively expensive and sometimes difficult tomanipulate in the air.

The present invention involves a kite construction with a minimum numberof components which are easily and quickly assembled. These componentsare structured to optimize the strength of the kite assembly, both underflyingconditions and resistance to ground impact. For example, the kiteassembly can be flown into the ground and take off again without damage.In addition, the kite construction has excellent aerial maneuverabilitywhich enhances its attractiveness to kite-flying enthusiasts. Forexample, two kites of the present invention can be flown and aeriallymanipulated to engage in aerial contests demonstrating the skill of theground controller. This, of course, greatly enhances the enjoyment andpopularity of kite-flying.

The invention involves several concepts which are correlated to providea superior kite assembly. Perhaps the most attractive feature of thepresent invention is the provision of a shock-absorbing mechanism in thekite frame which lengthens the useful life of a kite assembly in thatthe assembly can withstand repeated shocks of diving into the groundwithout breakage or irreparable damage to the kite assembly. Theshockabsorbing mechanism in the illustrated embodiments involves asemi-flexible extension on the longitudinal or vertical frame memberwhich is curved so that, upon impact, the impact forces are absorbedwithout destruction of the frame member or kite cover. The curvature ofthe longitudinal frame member may lie in the plane of the longitudinalframe member or in a plane perpendicular thereto. The curvature may bein a single are or in reverse curves such as an S-type curve. In anotheraspect of the present invention, the frame members are constructed of anengineering type plastic with a rigid structural configuration such as aT- or I-beam cross-section and are configured to provide maximumstrength between the bridle attachment points and reduced sections wherethe forces are not as great to thereby minimize the overall weight. Inthe prestructured configuration, a recess is provided in one of thecross members to receive the other frame member, and a releasable snaplock is provided to attach the members to one another as well as providea predetermined dihedral angle for one of the members. Eyelets areprovided at predetermined locations along the transverse frame memberwhere the locations lie on a line which is parallel to the longitudinalframe member and intersects the center of pressure for the kite cover.With this arrangement, the aerodynamic forces on the transverse framemember are counterbalanced so that air pressure forces to not adverselyaffect the interconnecting closure means. That is, the tension andcompression forces I on the snap interlock due to air pressure arerelatively balanced. A still further aspect of the present invention isthe provision of plastic bridle lines of fixed length and having endswith flexible hook portions so that the hook portions may be releasablycoupled to the eyelets. The longitudinal frame member is provided withlongitudinally displaced eyelets so that the bridle line can be adjustedthrough threading variations to provide different bridle lengthadjustments for maneuverability. The frame members are provided withprojecting nibs which are received in corresponding openings in the kitecover so that, in addition to the corner attachment, the kite cover issupported in longitudinal and horizontal positions to distributestresses on the cover and minimize the likelihood of damage to the kitecover. The kite cover is attached to the frame members by means ofopenings at the kite corners which are received over bayonet projectionsat the ends of the support members.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide new andimproved kite assemblies for aerial maneuvering which are simple inconstruction and durable.

The novel features of the present invention are set forth withparticularity in the appended claims. The invention, together withfurther objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood by way ofthe following description of exemplary apparatus and methods employingthe principles of the invention as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plane view of a kite constructed in accordance with thepresent invention;

. FIG. 2 is a side view of the. kite illustratedin FIG. 1 taken alongline 22 of FIG. 1 and illustrative of the vertical frame member;

FIG. 3 is a view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1 and illustrative of asection of the horizontal frame member;

FIG. 4 is a view in cross-section taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 3 and isillustrative of a detail in interconnecting a kite cover to a kiteframe;

FIG. 5 is a view in perspective taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3 and isillustrative of an attachment of a kite cover to a frame member;-

FIG. 6 is a view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 3 and is illustrative of aplane view of the interconnection between frame members;

FIG. 7 is a view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6 and is illustrative of aside view of an interconnection between frame members;

FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 7 but illustrates the horizontal frame membersin an open position prior to closing on a vertical frame member;

FIGS. 9-12 illustrate various arrangements of a bridle line with respectto the double eyelet on the longitudinal or vertical frame member topermit adjustment of the length of a bridle line;

FIG. 13 is a view of a double eyelet construction on the longitudinalframe member;

FIG. 14 is a view of an alternative form of kite construction andillustrates a different form of shock mechanism;

FIG. 15 is a side view of the kite of FIG. 14 from the side, taken alongline 15-15 of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a view taken along line l6-16 of FIG. 14 and is illustrativeof a section of a horizontal frame member;

FIG. 17 is a view taken along line 1717 of FIG. 14 and is illustrativeof a locking mechanism on the horizontal frame member;

FIG. 18 is a view of a preferred form of the kite assembly illustratinga preferred feature of the vertical and horizontal frame members;

FIG. 19 is a side view of the kite of FIG. 18; and

FIGS. 20 and 21 are views which are illustrative of a section of thehorizontal frame member with an alternative interlocking mechanism.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the kite assembly 20 generally includes a kitecover 21 which is in the form of a trapezium. Kite cover 21 is definedby sides 21a, 21b, 21c, 21d. From apex 21e to apex 21f is a longitudinalor vertical axis for the cover, and from apex 21g to 21h a transverse orhorizontal axis for the cover is defined. A vertical frame member 22extends along a longitudinal axis for the kite cover and is attached toapices of the 'cover 21..A horizontal frame member 23 extends along ahorizontal axis of the cover and attaches to apices of the cover. Thehorizontal and vertical frame members are interconnected at anintersecting location 24 in a perpendicular relationship so that equallength horizontal sections 25, 26 of the horizontal frame are on eitherside of the vertical frame member, and the vertical member is separatedinto an upper relatively short section 27 and a depending longer section28.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the horizontal sections 25, 26 of thehorizontal frame member 23 are arranged to form a preselected dihedralangle of about 166 without requiring bowstrings or the like. At theintersecting location 24, the horizontal frame member 26 has arectangular shaped recess 29 (FIG. 3) which is sized to receive theI-beam cross-section of the longitudinal frame member 22. As shown inFIGS. 2 and 6-8, each section 25, 26 of the frame member 23 also has anI-beam cross-section.

The forward faces 31, 32 of sections 25, 26 are integral with a facesection 33 at location 24. Normally, as shown in FIG. 8, faces 31-33 liein a common plane prior to assembly, but when assembled, as shown inFIG. 3, the intersecting face section 33 lies in a vertical plane andthe faces 31, 32 lie in planes which, if extended, would intersect alonga line and forward from face section 33. The inner surface of facesection 33 defines a bottom wall of recess 29, while the side walls ofthe recess 29 are formed by rib portions of sections 25, 26 whichterminate at end surfaces arranged to be parallel to one another whenthe sections 25, 26 are disposed at the angle shown in FIG. 3. Therearward faces 33, 34 of sections 25, 26 terminate short of the endsurfaces of the ribs, and thin walled extensions 35, 36 extendrearwardly of the rearward faces 33, 34 and overlap one another to formthe enclosing end surface for the recess 29 where the enclosing rearsurface is parallel to the bottom wall when the sections 25, 26 aredisposed at the angle shown in FIG. 3.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the extensions 35, 36 respectively haveinwardly extending semi-resilient hooklike projections 37, 38 which arearranged to permit a snap interlock. The horizontal frame member isconstructed of a semi-resilient material (to be discussed more fullylater) and is shown in a normal position in FIG. 8. From the positionshown in FIG. 8, the sections 25 and 26 of the horizontal member areflexed inwardly until projections 37 and 38 interlock. At this time, theresiliency of the frame member 23 tends to hold the projections 37, 38in an interlocking relationship.

The shaped recess 29 in the horizontal member 23 fixes the verticalmember 22 in one direction, i.e., it cannot move in a direction parallelto surface 33. To prevent a relative motion in a perpendiculardirection, the web 40 of the vertical member 22 is provided with aperpendicularly arranged extension 41 which extends beyond the confinesof the recess 29 and has a notch or groove 42 which receives the endwall of extension 35, thereby locking the member 22 to member 23 withrespect to transverse motion.

As shown in FIGS. 1-8, the frame members 22, 23 preferably have anl-beam cross-section and are constructed from an engineering plasticmaterial. An engineering plastic material is defined as one which has ahigh tensile strength, a high tensile modulus and a high impactstrength. Examples of such materials are polycarbonate, which ismanufactured under the trade name Lexan by General Electric or ABS(acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) which is sold under the trade nameCycolac" by Uni-Royal, polyphenylene oxide which is sold under the tradename Noryl" by General Electric, or acetal which is sold under thetrademark Delrin by DuPont. If desired, any of these plastics can beglass-filled to increase rigidity but will produce a product having areduced impact strength.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the cross-section of I-beam construction forthe section 36 of the horizontal frame member 23 is fairly uniformbetween the rectangular recess 29 and a first eyelet 43 which is locatedon the forward face 31. From the eyelet 43 to the terminal end 44 theconnecting rib 45 is decreased in width. Section 25 of frame 23 has amirror construction with respect to the cross-section to eyelet 45 andits terminal end 46.

With respect to the vertical frame member 22, the forward face 47 liesin a first lengthwise extending plane while the rearward face 48 isinclined inwardly from the connection location 24 to the terminal end 49so that the connecting rib 50 decreases in width and the member istapered. As illustrated, the faces 47 and 48 are correspondingly taperedtoward the end 49.

The relatively short section 27 of the vertical frame member 22 iscurved to a tenninal end 21e which has a pin formed above a pair ofshoulders. The width of the curved portion is supported'for roughlyone-half of its length by the rear face 48 of frame 22 and isunsupported for the remaining half of its length. As illustrated in FIG.1, the unsupported part of the curved section is decreased in width byinwardly extending curvatures to enhance its flexing properties. Asillustrated in FIG. 2, the terminal end 21a of the curved portion 27extends slightly forward of the plane of the forward face 41 of thevertical frame member 22. The effect of the curved end section is toprovide a shockabsorbing mechanism for the kite. That is, when theterminal end 21e impacts on the ground, the curved portion willrabsorbthe impact shock without transmitting the total shock effect to theentire frame or kite cover. An additional significant feature of thelocation of the forward end of the kite cover 21 in front of the coverwhich is disposed below the horizontal frame 23 is to effectivelyeliminate the aerodynamic effect of this portion of the kite. By sodoing, the aerial maneuverability is greatly enhanced by providing asingle lifting surface and eliminating a counter lift surface.

As noted heretofore, the horizontal frame member 23 has eyelets 43, 45located to either side of the recess 26 and the vertical frame member22. These eyelets 43, 45 are respectively located along lines 51, 52which are generally parallel to the vertical frame member 22 and whichintersect the centers of pressure 53, 54 for the kite cover 21. Thelines 51, 52 divide one-half of the kite cover into areas A and A andtheoretically this center of pressure, without considering the catenaryshape of the kite, would lie on the line which divides the one-half of akite cover into equal areas. However, by empirical methods, it has beendetermined that the A are is preferably 57 percent of the total area ofA plus A leaving, of course, A as 43 percent of the total area. Thesignificance of the location of the eyelets 43, 45 on the horizontalframe member 23 is that the forces exerted on the kite cover 21 arebalanced with respect to the counteracting force of the attachment tothe eyelet, and this, in turn, makes the force in tension andcompression on the clasp lock 37, 38 due to air pressure as effectivelyzero. Thus, the horizontal frame member does not tend to open or closethe lock during flight because of air pressure and remains closedbecause of the resilient force on parts 37, 38, thereby maintaining theoriginal 166 dihedral angle of the horizontal structural member whichcontributes to the stability of the kite. At the lower end of thelongitudinal frame member 22 are longitudinally spaced eyelets 56, 57.The eyelets 56, 57 and eyelets 43, 45 are formed in thin wall extensionsfrom the frame members.

The bridle lines 60, 61 are constructed from plastic such as a polyestersold under the trade name Mylar by Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing or6/6 Nylon sold by DuPont. The bridle lines are formed from a strip ofplastic which is suitably slitted to form two lines 62, 63, 64, 65joined at intermediate tab portions 66, 67 with openings for receivingthe kite control strings. The ends of each bridle line are notched toform arrows 68, 69. While a single arrowhead is illustrated in FIGS.9-12, a double notched arrow end can also be employed. In any event, thewidth of the notched portion of the arrow end is slightly greater thanan eyelet opening, and, because of the flexibility of the nylon, thearrow end may be inserted through an eyelet opening and will not becomedetached until the arrow end is compressed and forced out of the eyelet.As illustrated in FIG. 9, the arrowhead and bridle line 65 may beinserted through the upper eyelet 56, which will provide a certain angleof attack for the kite. This angle can be changed as desired byinserting the arrowhead and bridle line 65 through the lower eyelet 57as shown in FIG. 10. A still further change in length can beaccomplished by threading the arrow end 69 through both the upper andlower eyelets 56, 57, as shown in FIG. 11, or

by reversing the arrow end 69 to be threaded twice through the upperopening 56 and once through the lower opening 57, as shown in FIG. 12.The significance of being able to change the length of a bridle section63 and 65 is that the angle of attack of the kite can be changed fordifferent wind and flying conditions.

The kite cover 21 includes reinforced corners, one such corner beingillustrated in FIG. 5, and an attachment opening 71 which can be slippedover the projecting pin portion 72 at the terminal end of a framemember. The reinforcement is provided by gluing or adhesively attachinga piece of tear-resistant plastic to the kite cover, either on one orboth sides of the cover. Perpendicular pins 73 are provided at the endsof the frame members to prevent the kite cover from passing along ormoving relative to the frame members. Each of the terminal ends of theframe members, except for end 21a, is provided with the pin attachment,as illustrated in FIG. 5.

To further increase the construction stability of the kite assembly, thekite cover 21 can be provided with spaced openings which lie along thehorizontal frame and the vertical frame members. Projecting nib portions75 (see FIG. 4) on a frame member can be passed through an opening 76(which can be reinforced) to at tach the kite cover 21 to the framemembers at the nibs. Therefore, forces acting on the kite cover 21 aretransmitted and compensated for by the frame members 22, 23, whichenhances the overall strength of the kite assembly. This prevents unduebowing and the column bending effect under high velocity windconditions.

The kite cover 21 is no less important to this invention in that it isformed from a plastic film and preferably a biaxially oriented film or alaminated film of nylon between sheets of polyethylene or PVC. Abiaxially oriented film has extremely good properties and is verytear-resistant. If laminated, it also eliminates the ease of propagationof a tear should a tear be started in the film. The thickness of thecover is preferably between 0.6 and 0.1 of a mil.

Referring now to FIGS. 14-17, the kite frame therein illustrated issimilar to that previously described. A vertical frame member 80 isinterconnected at an interconnection location 81 to a horizontal framemember 82. Vertical frame member 80 has an upper section 83 above thelocation 81 and a lower section 84 below the location. The lower section84 is tapered outwardly from the connecting location 81 to anintermediate point 85,1and from point 85 tapers inwardly to the end 86.Thpurpose of the tapered section is to provide maximum strength in themidsection. The horizontal frame 82 is tapered from a maximum at themidsection to a minimum at the ends.

As illustrated in FIGS. 16 and 17, the latching mech-" anism includesthe rectangular recess 87 when the hori' zontal frame is latchedtogether. A projecting rib 88 with a recess 89 for attaching thevertical frame mem ber to the transverse frame member is provided topre-' vent relative motion in one direction. The latch mechanismincludes an overlapping finger portion 90 extending from a rib whichforms a hook member 91 which is received by a recess 92 in an adjacentrib of the horizontal frame member.

The shock-absorbing mechanism includes a thinwalled curved extension 83which lies generally in'the plane of the forward face of the verticalmember 80 and has an S-shaped configuration about a line extending alongthe vertical frame member. The effect of the S-shaped configuration,which is semi-resilient because of the type of material employed, is toabsorb ground impact and prevent destruction of the kite. Anothermaterial which can be used for the shock absorber is polypropylene.

In FIGS. 18-21, a preferred form of the kite assembly is illustrated. Avertical frame member 93 is interconnected at an interconnectionlocation 94 to a horizontal frame member 95. The vertical frame member94 has an upper section 96 above location 94 and a lower section 97below the location 94. The interconnecting means includes a projection98 on the vertical frame member 93 so that the projection 98 abuts theupper surface of the horizontal frame member 95 when the vertical framemember 93 is inserted through a rectangular opening 99 in the horizontalframe member. The vertical frame member 93 has a recess 100 forreceiving a locking clip or O-ring 101 so that the projection 98 andlocking clip 101 retain the vertical member in a fixed relation to thehorizontal member.

The shock-absorbing mechanism includes a thinwalled S-curved extension96 which lies generally in the plane of the forward face of the verticalmember 97. The effect of the S-shaped configuration, which issemi-resilient because of the type of material employed, is to absorbground impact and prevent destruction of the kite.

To increase the aerial mobility, the sides of the horizontal framemember 95 are initially formed along a straight line at about an angleof 10 with respect to the horizontal and in an upward direction. Whenthe ends of the frame member are inserted into the openings in a kitecover, the sides assume a curvature. The purpose of this arrangement isto further reduce the area of the upper panel above the horizontalmember with a corresponding increase in the area below the horizontalmember. A further purpose served is reduction in the slack in the kitecover.

As shown in FIG. 19, the lower end 103 of the horizontal member 93 isinclined rearwardly from a point ,near the lower connecting eyelet 104.The angle with respect to a vertical is about 10 and provides a lowpressure area in front of the kite, tending to move the top of the kiteoutwardly. Thus, the tension on the control lines can be maintained sothat when diving into the ground the kite tends to fly away from theoperator and will not flutter helplessly to the ground. Also, the kitewill take off from the ground easily and does not require handlaunching.

With regard to the location of eyelets 104-106, there is a range ofsuitable locations proportional to size to minimize the weight of thestructure as well as to optimize its flying abilities. For example, withrespect to FIG. 18, a practical example is a vertical member having alength of 30 inches and a horizontal member having an overall length of28 inches. A practical location of the interconnection point 94 is adistance of 5 inches for Y, or 16 percent of the total length of thevertical member. The dihedral angle for the horizontal member is about166. The relative location of eyelet 104 or distance Y, is between 16and 17.5 inches. The ratio of lengths is then Y /Y or a range of 16/25to 17.5/25 for a proportionality constant. With respect to thehorizontal member, eyelet 106 should be between 7.75 and 8.5 inches fromthe horizontal member. The ratio of lengths is then X,,/X, or a range of7.75/l4 to 8.5/l4 for a proportionaltiy constant.

The foregoing proportionality constants are based upon a considerationof one-half of the vertical part of a kite. By balancing the forces,horizontal torque and vertical torque, the interrelation of the X, andY, distances and the respective reactive forces at these points areobtained. By changing the value for Y, and solving for the minimum totalintegrated bending moment, the optimum solution for X and Y are obtainedto providethe minimum weight structure for the frame members. This isbecause the weight is a directly interrelated function of the integratedbending moment. The solution also takes into consideration that thestruts should have a radius of curvature direction that is the same atall points.

The construction of the kite of the present invention involves twobridle lines, a horizontal frame member, a vertical frame member, and akite cover. The five components are constructed from durable plasticmaterials. In assembly, the horizontal member 23 is opened as shown inFIG. 8 and the vertical member 22 inserted into the recess 29 so thatnotch 42 of projection 41 is opposite the end of the web of horizontalsection 25. The horizontal frame member 23 is then flexed until the hookprojections 37 and 38 are interconnected as shown in FIG. 3. The kitecover 21 has its apex openings inserted over the end projections offrame members 22 and 23. It will be appreciated that members 22 and 23are semi-flexible so that they can be bowed slightly to make theattachment of the cover to the frame members. The cover 21 has slittedopenings which pass over the eyelets 43, 44, 56 and 57 and openings 76which pass over cover reinforcing ribs 75. At this time the cover 21 isslightly tensioned on the frame and bears against the frame sections 25,26 and 28. The upper section of the kite cover 21 above the horizontalframe 23 is displaced forwardly of the main portion of the kite cover byvirtue of the forward end 2111 of the vertical member 22. This, it willbe recalled, is for the purpose of limiting the aerodynamic effect ofthe upper section and defining the effective flight control surfaces tothe section of the kite cover below the horizontal frame member 23. Thebridle lines 60 and 61 are next attached by snap connecting the endsthrough the eyelets. As illustrated in FIGS. 9-12, the length of thebridles can be adjusted by the type of threading to the double eyelet.To the bridle tabs 66, 67 the kite strings from the controller areattached. A suitable controller mechanism is illustrated in U.S. Pat.No. 3,355,l29 wherein each kite string is attached to a separate reeland, through manipulation of the controller, the kite will have anaerial response. Should the kite be driven into the'ground, it typicallywill impact at its upper apex which, in the .case of the presentinvention, is attached to a shock-absorbing mechanism. The semiresilientcharacter of the vertical frame member and the'arrangement of the uppersection of the vertical member provide a shock-absorbing means. Itshould be appreciated, however, that while an integrally formedshock-absorbing mechanism of minimum complexity is disclosed,conventional dash-pot or spring systems could be employed although theyare not as desirable.

The embodiments of FIGS. 14-17 and 18-21 are similar in arrangement. InFIGS. 18-21 the preferred form of elevator 103 is illustrated whichprovides for ten- With respect to the construction of the frame members,a suitable wall thickness is not less than 0.030 inches. The members areformed by the usual molding techniques, and it is not entirely necessarythat the members be monolithic although this is desirable. The easiestsectional part to make is the horizontal member which can be formed intotwo pieces and attached by a strap to form section 33.

While there are two forms of l-beam construction for the frame membersillustrated, the embodiment of FIGS. 1-13 is preferred in that itprovides a stronger construction per unit of weight. Also, a T-beamconstruction can be employed but it, of course, has a lesser strengthcharacteristic.

While particular embodiments of 'the present invention have been shownand described, it is apparent tha changes and modifications may be madewithout departing from this invention in its broader aspects; and,therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changesand modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of thisinvention.

What is claimed is:

l. A kite assembly comprising frame means including a longitudinal framemember and a transverse frame member interconnected to one another, theoverall vertical dimension of said longitudinal frame member and theoverall horizontal dimension of said transverse member havingaproportionality of 30/28 and the overall vertical dimension of saidlongitudinal frame member below said transverse frame member and theoverall vertical dimension of said longitudinal member above saidtransverse member having a proportionality of 25/5,

first eyelet means located on said transverse member a distance X, toeither side of said longitudinal member and second eyelet means locatedon said longitudinal member a distance Y from the interconnection ofsaid frame members, said first eyelet means being located at a distanceX, from the longitudinal member in a range of 7.75/14 to 8.5/14 timesone-half of the overall horizontal dimension of the, transverse member,said second eyelet means being located at a distance Y from thehorizontal member in a range of 16/25 to 17.5/25 times the length of thelongitudinal member measured from the transversemember.

2. The kite assembly of claim 1 wherein said longitudinal memberincludes a shock absorbing means above said transverse member, saidshock-absorbing means being comprised of a section of semi-resilientmaterial having a curvature and a terminal end portion aligned with theaxis of the longitudinal member.

3. The kite assembly of claim 2 wherein said longitudinal member extendsalong a longitudinal axis and includes a rearwardly inclined sectionbelow said second eyelet means for providing a low pressure area belowthe eyelet means.

4. The kite assembly of claim 3 wherein said rearwardly inclined sectionis at an angle of about with respect to the vertical.

5. A kite assembly comprising frame means including a longitudinal framemember and a transverse frame member,

means on said members for coupling said members to one another in afixed position including a recess in one of said members and areleasable lock means,

kite covering means attachable to the ends of said frame members, and

means disposed along said frame members for attaching said kite coveringmeans to said frame members intermediate of their ends.

6. The kite assembly of claim 5 wherein said attaching means includesprojection means on said frame members extending through openings onsaid kite covering means.

7. The kite assembly of claim 6 wherein at least two of said projectionmeans on said transverse member are located along lines generallyparallel to the longitudinal member and substantially intersecting thecenters of pressure of the kite covering means.

8. The kite assembly of claim 7 wherein the projection means on saidlongitudinal member includes longitudinally spaced eyelets.

9. The kite assembly of claim 8 and further including bridle meansconstructed of plastic material with a fixed length and means forreleasably coupling to said projection means.

10. A kite assembly comprising frame means including a longitudinalframe member and a transverse frame member interconnected to oneanother, said frame members being constructed of engineering plasticmaterials,

shock-absorbing means at one end of said longitudinal frame member,

a kite cover for said frame means including means for attaching the kitecover to the ends of said frame members,

means extending through said kite cover at spaced locations on saidtransverse member to either side of said longitudinal member forreceiving bridle means,

means extending through said kite cover at a location along the lengthof said longitudinal member for receiving bridle means, and

means coupling said kite cover to said frame members at other locationsalong said frame members intermediate of their ends and bridle receivingmeans. a

11. The kite assembly of claim 10 wherein said spaced locations liealong parallel lines to said longitudinal frame member which extendthrough the centers of pressure for said kite cover.

12. The kite assembly of claim 1 1 wherein said transverse frame memberhas an I-beam construction and includes a centrally located recess forreceiving said longitudinal frame member and interconnecting latchingmeans which close said recess and releasably retain said longitudinalframe member in said recess, said Lt beam construction for saidtransverse member having a :uniform cross-section between said recessand said locations, the end portions of said transverse member beyondsaid locations being tapered to a smaller crosssection terminating atthe ends of said transverse member.

13.A kite assembly comprising frame means including a longitudinal framemember and a transverse frame member coupled to one another to form aT-shaped frame, said longitudinal frame member being constructed ofsemi-resilient material,

kite covering means on said frame means,

means forming a shock-absorber at one end of said longitudinal framemember including a curved portion lying in a plane generally parallel tosaid cover means and having an S-shaped configuration.

14. The kite of claim 13 wherein said longitudinal frame member has arearwardly inclined portion at its other end.

15. The kite of claim 14 wherein said transverse frame members are bowedupwardly to either side of said longitudinal frame member.

16. A kite assembly comprising frame means including a longitudinalframe member and a transverse frame member coupled to another to form aT-shaped frame, said longitudinal frame member being constructed ofsemi-resilient material,

kite covering means on said frame means, and

means forming a shock-absorber on said longitudinal frame memberincluding a curved portion in a first plane perpendicular to the covermeans, said curved portion being located at one end of said longitudinalframe member.

17. The kite of claim 16 wherein the end of said curved portion extendsforwardly in said first plane to a point outside of a second planeperpendicular to said first plane and extending along said longitudinalframe member.

18. A kite assembly comprising frame means including a longitudinalframe member and a transverse frame member, said members having anl-beam cross section, and

means on said members for coupling said members to one another in afixed position including a recess in the cross-section of saidtransverse member, said transverse member having a flexible connectingportion forming one side of said recess, said longitudinal frame memberhaving a cross-section sized to be received in said recess, saidtransverse members having releasable interlocking means extending acrossthe other side of said recess and releasably interconnecting with oneanother for closing and opening said recess thereby permitting couplingand uncoupling of said frame members.

19. The kite assembly of claim 18 wherein said coupling means furtherincludes means for preventing transverse movement of said membersrelative to one another.

20. A kite assembly comprising frame means including a longitudinalframe member and a transverse frame member interconnected to oneanother, first eyelet means located on said transverse member to eitherside of said longitudinal member and second eyelet means located on saidlongitudinal member, said eyelet means having openings, and

bridle means for attaching to said eyelet means including a bridle linefor one of said first eyelet means and said second eyelet means and abridle line for the other of said one eyelet means and said secondeyelet means, said bridle lines including end portions constructed froma strip of semi-resilient material and having an enlarged and inwardlytapered terminal end forming a hook portion where the terminal end isinsertable into an eyelet opening and the enlarged hook portion isflexibly insertable through an eyelet opening for releasably retaining abridle line in an eyelet means.

21. The kite assembly of claim 20 wherein said second eyelet meansincludes longitudinally spaced eyelets for permitting adjustment ofbridle length with the fixed length of bridle means.

22. A kite assembly comprising frame means including a longitudinalframe member and a transverse frame member, said members beingconstructed from an engineering type plastic and having perpendicularlydisposed sections, means on said members for coupling said members toone another in a fixed position including a recess in one of saidmembers and a releasable lock means having resilient fingers withoverlapping latching portions.

t t t

1. A kite assembly comprising frame means including a longitudinal framemember and a transverse frame member interconnected to one another, theoverall vertical dimension of said longitudinal frame member and theoverall horizontal dimension of said transverse member having aproportionality of 30/28 and the overall vertical dimension of saidlongitudinal frame member below said transverse frame Member and theoverall vertical dimension of said longitudinal member above saidtransverse member having a proportionality of 25/5, first eyelet meanslocated on said transverse member a distance Xo to either side of saidlongitudinal member and second eyelet means located on said longitudinalmember a distance Yo from the interconnection of said frame members,said first eyelet means being located at a distance Xo from thelongitudinal member in a range of 7.75/14 to 8.5/14 times one-half ofthe overall horizontal dimension of the transverse member, said secondeyelet means being located at a distance Yo from the horizontal memberin a range of 16/25 to 17.5/25 times the length of the longitudinalmember measured from the transverse member.
 2. The kite assembly ofclaim 1 wherein said longitudinal member includes a shock absorbingmeans above said transverse member, said shock-absorbing means beingcomprised of a section of semi-resilient material having a curvature anda terminal end portion aligned with the axis of the longitudinal member.3. The kite assembly of claim 2 wherein said longitudinal member extendsalong a longitudinal axis and includes a rearwardly inclined sectionbelow said second eyelet means for providing a low pressure area belowthe eyelet means.
 4. The kite assembly of claim 3 wherein saidrearwardly inclined section is at an angle of about 10* with respect tothe vertical.
 5. A kite assembly comprising frame means including alongitudinal frame member and a transverse frame member, means on saidmembers for coupling said members to one another in a fixed positionincluding a recess in one of said members and a releasable lock means,kite covering means attachable to the ends of said frame members, andmeans disposed along said frame members for attaching said kite coveringmeans to said frame members intermediate of their ends.
 6. The kiteassembly of claim 5 wherein said attaching means includes projectionmeans on said frame members extending through openings on said kitecovering means.
 7. The kite assembly of claim 6 wherein at least two ofsaid projection means on said transverse member are located along linesgenerally parallel to the longitudinal member and substantiallyintersecting the centers of pressure of the kite covering means.
 8. Thekite assembly of claim 7 wherein the projection means on saidlongitudinal member includes longitudinally spaced eyelets.
 9. The kiteassembly of claim 8 and further including bridle means constructed ofplastic material with a fixed length and means for releasably couplingto said projection means.
 10. A kite assembly comprising frame meansincluding a longitudinal frame member and a transverse frame memberinterconnected to one another, said frame members being constructed ofengineering plastic materials, shock-absorbing means at one end of saidlongitudinal frame member, a kite cover for said frame means includingmeans for attaching the kite cover to the ends of said frame members,means extending through said kite cover at spaced locations on saidtransverse member to either side of said longitudinal member forreceiving bridle means, means extending through said kite cover at alocation along the length of said longitudinal member for receivingbridle means, and means coupling said kite cover to said frame membersat other locations along said frame members intermediate of their endsand bridle receiving means.
 11. The kite assembly of claim 10 whereinsaid spaced locations lie along parallel lines to said longitudinalframe member which extend through the centers of pressure for said kitecover.
 11. The kite assembly of claim 10 wherein said spaced locationslie along parallel lines to said longitudinal frame member which extendthrough the centers of pressure for said kite cover. kite covering meanson said frame means,
 12. The kite assembly of claim 11 wherein saidtransverse frame member has an I-beam construction and includes acentrally located recess for receiving said longitudinal frame memberand interconnecting latching means which close said recess Andreleasably retain said longitudinal frame member in said recess, saidI-beam construction for said transverse member having a uniformcross-section between said recess and said locations, the end portionsof said transverse member beyond said locations being tapered to asmaller cross-section terminating at the ends of said transverse member.13. A kite assembly comprising frame means including a longitudinalframe member and a transverse frame member coupled to one another toform a T-shaped frame, said longitudinal frame member being constructedof semi-resilient material, kite covering means on said frame means,means forming a shock-absorber at one end of said longitudinal framemember including a curved portion lying in a plane generally parallel tosaid cover means and having an S-shaped configuration.
 14. The kite ofclaim 13 wherein said longitudinal frame member has a rearwardlyinclined portion at its other end.
 14. The kite of claim 13 wherein saidlongitudinal frame member has a rearwardly inclined portion at itsotherend.
 15. The kite of claim 14 wherein said transverse frame members arebowed upwardly to either side of said longitudinal frame member.
 16. Akite assembly comprising frame means including a longitudinal framemember and a transverse frame member coupled to another to form aT-shaped frame, said longitudinal frame member being constructed ofsemi-resilient material, kite covering means on said frame means, andmeans forming a shock-absorber on said longitudinal frame memberincluding a curved portion in a first plane perpendicular to the covermeans, said curved portion being located at one end of said longitudinalframe member.
 16. A kite assembly comprising
 17. The kite of claim 16wherein the end of said curved portion extends forwardly in said firstplane to a point outside of a second plane perpendicular to said firstplane and extending along said longitudinal frame member.
 18. A kiteassembly comprising frame means including a longitudinal frame memberand a transverse frame member, said members having an I-beam crosssection, and means on said members for coupling said members to oneanother in a fixed position including a recess in the cross-section ofsaid transverse member, said transverse member having a flexibleconnecting portion forming one side of said recess, said longitudinalframe member having a cross-section sized to be received in said recess,said transverse members having releasable interlocking means extendingacross the other side of said recess and releasably interconnecting withone another for closing and opening said recess thereby permittingcoupling and uncoupling of said frame members.
 19. The kite assembly ofclaim 18 wherein said coupling means further includes means forpreventing transverse movement of said members relative to one another.20. A kite assembly comprising frame means including a longitudinalframe member and a transverse frame member interconnected to oneanother, first eyelet means located on said transverse member to eitherside of said longitudinal member and second eyelet means located on saidlongitudinal member, said eyelet means having openings, and bridle meansfor attaching to said eyelet means including a bridle line for one ofsaid first eyelet means and said second eyelet means and a bridle linefor the other of said one eyelet means and said second eyelet means,said bridle lines including end portions constructed from a strip ofsemi-resilient material and having an enlarged and inwardly taperedterminal end forming a hook portion where the terminal end is insertableinto an eyelet opening and the enlarged hook portion is flexiblyinsertable through an eyelet opening for releasably retaining a bridleline in an eyelet means.
 21. The kite assembly of claim 20 wherein saidsecond eyelet means includes longitudinally spaced eyelets forpermitting adjustment of bridle length with the fixed length of bridlemeans.
 22. A kite assembly comprising frame means including alongitudinal frame member and a transverse frame mEmber, said membersbeing constructed from an engineering type plastic and havingperpendicularly disposed sections, means on said members for couplingsaid members to one another in a fixed position including a recess inone of said members and a releasable lock means having resilient fingerswith overlapping latching portions. openings which pass over theeyelets43, 44, 56 and 57 and openings 76 which pass over cover reinforcing ribs75. At this time the cover 21 is slightly tensioned on the frame andbears against the frame sections 25, 26 and
 28. the upper section ofthekite cover 21 above the horizontal frame 23 is displaced forwardly ofthe main portion of the kite cover by virtue of the forward end 21a ofthe vertical member
 22. This, it will be recalled, is for the purpose oflimiting theaerodynamic effect of the upper section and defining theeffective flight control surfaces to thesection of thekite cover belowthe horizontal frame member
 22. A KITE ASSEMBLY COMPRISINGFRAMEMEANSINCLUDING A LONGITUDINAL FRAME MEMBER AND A TRANSVERSE FRAMEMEMBER, SAID MEMBERS BEING CONSTRUCTED FROM AN ENGINERRING TYPE PLASTICand having PERPENDICULARLY DISPOSED SECTIONS, MEANS ON SAID MEMBERSFORCOUPLING SAID MEMBERS TO ONE ANOTHER in a FIXED POSITION INCLUDING ARECESS IN ONE OF SAID MEMBERS AND A RELEASABLY LOCK MEANS HAVINGRESILIENT FINGERS WITH OVERLAPPING LATCHING PORTIONS.
 23. The bridlelines 60 and 61 arenext attached by snap connecting the ends throughtheeyelets. As illustrated in FIGS. 9-12, the length of the bridles canbe adjusted by the type of threading to thedouble eyelet. To the bridletabs 66, 67 thekite strings from the controller are attached. A SUITABLECONTROLLER MECHANISM IS ILLUSTRATED IN U. S. Pat. No. 3,355,129 whereineach kite string is attached to a separate reel and, throughmanipulation of the controller thekite will have an aerial response.Should thekite be driven into the ground, it